Dear colleagues,
It is my great pleasure to announce that on July 1, 2020, the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences (IKBSAS) successfully transitioned into two autonomous Faculties:
- The Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
- The Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
The transition marks a major milestone for both UBC Okanagan and IKBSAS, and is a testament to the sizeable growth that we have experienced since our campus’ inception in 2004.
With this significant change comes an exciting opportunity for innovation and excellence in the sciences, as well as arts and social sciences at UBC Okanagan.
The creation of two new Faculties will not only bolster this campus’ commitment to learning and research. They will also expand upon Dr. Irving K. Barber’s contribution to our community with each new Faculty continuing to bear his name and continuing to subscribe to the original founding principles—to create an outstanding learning environment that prepares students to become better citizens of the world; citizens that foster a civil and sustainable society.
As a result of the attentive work done by our colleagues in IKBSAS, our two new Faculties are well-positioned to take advantage of this unique moment. My sincere thanks to everyone who has worked so diligently to ensure this smooth transition, in particular the students, faculty and staff of IKBSAS whose contributions, enthusiasm and patience are critical to the process.
I also want to acknowledge and recognize Dr. Gino DiLabio as he moves into the role of Dean, pro tem of both new Faculties, for his enduring leadership throughout the transition process.
The two decanal searches for the newly formed Faculties are continuing at this time.
Please join me in wishing our two newest Faculties the utmost success.
Sincerely,
Ananya Mukherjee Reed
Provost and Vice-President Academic
UBC Okanagan
